The Game

Summary: Post-LOTF. Sacrifice spoilers. Luke gets an unwelcomed proposition from his past.

A/N: Unbeta'd, only because I wanted to get it out ASAP. As you can tell I am still not over Sacrifice nor will I ever be.

His heart was full of grief, sadness and anger as his blade finally cut down Darth Caedus. He wasn't sure if it was him, or the Force that had finally struck the blow that robbed the galaxy of a husband, a father, a son, a nephew and a Sith Lord. Jacen Solo was now dead and Mara could now finally rest in peace. It was over.

--

Years had passed and Luke had never let an anniversary pass where he did not visit his wife. Every year on the anniversary of their wedding, he would go to their favourite restaurant. He would order a wine and toast the empty chair. He would come home and put on their favourite song and sit on their bed and look into the empty room, hoping that maybe one day her ghost would at least join him for one last dance. So now he sat at the restaurant gripping his wine and thinking about times when there was no war, no death and Mara would be sitting across from him, throwing back her beautiful red hair and laughing.

For a brief moment, Luke felt something in the Force he had never felt before. It was a presence that seemed so familiar but he had never known it before. A few seconds later, the anomaly walked right through the door.

Callista Ming.

Trying to hide his utter shock, Luke stood up and made his way to the bar, where she stood in all her glory. She was back. And she had the Force. "Callista?" She turned around to face him and immediately embraced him on recognising his face.

"Luke!" she responded happily.

Luke wondered what grace of the Force had delivered him Callista Ming on the night of his anniversary with his dead wife. Suddenly he felt very tired.

"You found the Force," he stated bluntly, gesturing for Callista to sit at his table. She sat on what should have been Mara's chair and gazed at him in such a way he felt uncomfortable.

"It took me so long but I have finally found it. I'm whole again," she whispered as she gently took Luke's hand. "I came back to find you."

Luke laughed dryly and took another drink of his wine. "Well you found me," he stated, ignoring the sound of Mara's voice in his head.

The body snatcher's back, Farmboy. It's a game. Your move.

"I heard about...," Callista started, gesturing to Luke's wedding ring. "I'm so sorry," she said and Luke could sense her insincerity even without the Force flowing around her.

"Thank you," he replied, taking another drink. "So what can I do for you Callista? Did you want some extra training? The Jedi Order needs rebuilding yet again so..."

Callista shook her head. "No Luke. I came to find you. I thought that maybe..."

Gambit.

Now Luke found real amusement in the situation. Surely he was in a sick dream? Surely his ex girlfriend of decades ago wasn't really sitting in front of him asking him to take her back after his wife had maliciously been murdered?

"No Callista," he whispered and fingered his wedding ring. He could see she looked crestfallen.

"You will have to move on eventually Luke. Mara is gone. She is not coming back," she pressed on, a sense of urgency in her voice. Why had she not moved on as he had?

"No she's not," he agreed and finished off his wine. "And neither are you. I loved Mara with my heart and my soul. I would give up the Force itself to have her back. I will never move on because I know Callista that she is waiting for me."

A single tear fell down her cheek. "Just like you were going to wait for me so long ago?"

Luke stood and left his share of credits, plus a tip on the table. "You were just the prologue Callista. Mara was the entire story. Goodbye."

Checkmate, Skywalker.

--

He stood in his empty room once again. Automatically he put on his and Mara's favourite. He sat on his bed and looked out the window. For a moment he closed his eyes and when he opened them he came face to face with green eyes and red hair.

"Skywalker..."

--